


Stood Up

by chillsoya



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Muggle, Fluff, Food mention, Friends to Lovers, Implied Relationships, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Sex, Living Together, M/M, Marauders, Marauders' Era, Modern Setting, Muggle Life, Mutual Pining, One Shot, Online Dating, Pining, Short One Shot, Smoking, Tinder, University, Unresolved Sexual Tension, muggle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-09
Updated: 2017-05-09
Packaged: 2018-10-30 02:52:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10867539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chillsoya/pseuds/chillsoya
Summary: Remus needs to get over Sirius. Sirius disagrees.





	Stood Up

**Author's Note:**

> In terms of the rating, there's no actual sexual content but implied sexual content in the future... And Remus is pretty open about the fact he wants to get fucked. This is a one shot and not related to my other fics/chapter fics.

It’s time to start dating again… Probably. Remus feels pretty ridiculous for not having thought of it. Maybe he’s been pining after his best friend for the longest time… So what? If nothing’s going to come of it, he can’t spend his whole life wishing. He has to move on.

Lily doesn’t exactly agree with him, but she’s willing to help out. More because Remus, despite being highly literary, feels too nervous to make his own tinder profile. What are the right pictures, what should he say? Way too stressful, thanks.

So he spends the afternoon with Lily, picking out photos, trying a few selfies, coming up with clever puns. Not like that’s all they do that afternoon - they bake cookies in Lily’s dodgy oven and toss flour at each other throughout the process. They catch up with Ru Paul’s drag race… And once the profile is fixed up, they spend some time rating guys they’ve never seen before, swiping left or right.

Remus heads home around 6 in the evening. The flat is quiet, Sirius must be napping or something - Rem heard him come in at 5 this morning from some party, with James. The two friends had been absolutely shitfaced, so he doen’t expect to see much of them.

Peter is lazing around in the communal area with his slippers on, a tub of ice cream on one side and a mug of hot chocolate on the other.

“Dinner?” Remus teases, coming in and heading to the fridge to get the necessary ingredients to make a killer sandwich. Sadly all his bread is in the freezer so he’ll have to defrost that first.  
“Nah, I’m waiting for my takeaway to get here.” Rem glowers over his shoulder for a moment, accusatory. “Didn’t know when you’d be getting back, sorry… Did you make cookies?”  
“Yeah, why?”  
“Can smell them. Gimme some.”  
“If I can have some of your dinner, then you’re on.”  
“Fine. But I’m choosing what goes on the telly.”  
“Sure.”

Rem throws a couple of pieces of bread on the counter to defrost and makes a mug of tea, then comes to sit next to Pete. They dunk the cookies in their respective hot drinks while Peter flips through the channels disinterestedly.  
“Put on Netflix.”  
“Frank changed the password.” Peter laments, staring into the depths of his hot chocolate desolately.  
“It’ll be easy. Give us that.”

The password is Alice123. Very easy. Remus taunts Peter by pretending not to give the remote back, then gives it up with a laugh. While Pete goes through his list, Moony checks his phone.

Not to be dramatic, but saying his heart stops when he sees that he’s got a few matches is an understatement.

“What’s that?” Pete noses over his shoulder, then raises his eyebrows and wolf whistles. “Nice. Gilderoy Lockhart… Amelia Bones… Check you out, mate.”  
“One of them’s talking to me.”  
“Go on, then, message back. Maybe you’ll get a date out of it. God knows you could use a shag.”  
“Oi!”

 

“What’s all this, then?” Sirius stands in the doorway looking ruffled and beautiful as always. He’s obviously just woken up by the pillow prints on his face and the way his hair is piled up on top of his head.  
“Nothing.” Remus feels cold, like this should be a secret or something. Peter casts him a sidelong glance, before shrugging and putting on Sense8. “How many times have you rewatched this?” He complains, sighing.  
“New season soon, gotta refresh myself.” Peter grins and Remus watches Sirius head to the fridge.

“Ugh… So hungry.” He complains, prodding at Rem’s loaf of bread curiously - still frozen solid, by the looks of things. “Anyone want to order in?”

Wanna come out for drinks?

“Nah, thanks.” Peter calls, already devoting more than half of his attention to the tv. He’s pretty intense about his tv shows. “Got one on the way.” Sirius gives him an accusing look, crossing his arms.  
“Without me?!”  
“You weren’t even awake, shut up.” Pete rolls his eyes and waves Sirius off before re-immersing himself. Remus just shrugs at Padfoot apologetically.  
“He didn’t order any for me, either. I’m getting some of his because I baked cookies.”  
“Huh. Flat’s mother hen, eh?” Remus blushes - it doesn’t sound like it was meant as a compliment.

Aren’t you going to take me for dinner first? ;) 

Remus is surprised that he’s able to be so bold. But something about seeing Sirius, so gorgeous and breathtaking… Remus can’t keep on going like this. There needs to be something, someone else.

Sure :) Send me a pic of you?

Rem hates taking selfies, so he gets up with his tea and excuses himself through to his room. Sirius and Peter give him curious looks, but he just raises his cup of tea to them as a goodbye and disappears through the door.

It’s hard to get good lighting, apparently. He must try five different angles and positions around the shoe-box room until he gets a picture that’s in any way satisfactory. As far as he’s concerned, though, it’s pretty cute. He fires it to Lily first to ask for her opinion.

Looks good, Rem. Who’s that for?x  
This guy called Gilderoy. He seems… alright. From the 3 messages we’ve exchanged.x  
Ooh, moving fast ;) x  
Better not ask for dick picks. Can you un-match?x  
Ask Sirius, he’ll know x  
Hope I don’t find him - wouldn’t know what to swipe… Awkward.x  
Whatever, Rem. Maybe you’d finally ask him on a date x  
He’d probably think I was joking x

Flipping back to tinder, Rem sends the picture off and asks for one in return, too. Gilderoy leaves him on ‘read’ for a few minutes, then fires one back.

Have I seen you somewhere before?  
I help run the student association stuff - pretty present on campus. Maybe there?  
Ah, right - that’ll be it.  
Not the sort of face you forget, eh?  
Time will tell. So. Dinner?  
Let’s meet outside the Faulkner building - dress smart. I’ll take you to one of my favourites… Do you like fois gras?  
Um… Maybe?  
Perfect. Looking forward to seeing more of you.

When Remus comes through to the kitchen/living room, Peter has his takeaway spread out across 3 seats and is sitting cross legged on the floor, picking his way through it all. Sense8 is still playing on the TV and Sirius is lounging on the other side, half-watching it and half flipping through his phone. He has one of Rem’s cookies in his hand.

“Good bake. What’s the recipe?”  
“Um, Nigella maybe? Dunno.” Peter cranes his neck around to see Remus and raises his eyebrows, giving him a once over.  
“Going somewhere?”  
“Ah, yeah. So don’t leave a key in the door, ‘kay?”  
“So… Do you not want any of this?” Peter gestures to the takeaway, eyeing his share of the cookies covetously.  
“Nah, we’re going for dinner. And yes, you can still have those cookies - I don’t really like white chocolate.”  
“Weirdo.”

It’s like Sirius didn’t even see him before, because now he’s upright and full on staring without any shame. He looks Remus up and down slowly, narrowing his eyes.  
“Where are you going? Is that… A shirt?”  
“What, you’ve never seen me in a shirt before?” Remus suddenly feels self conscious, fiddling with his shirt buttons and looking down himself to try and work out if they’re done up squint  
“Not that. You just look… Nice. Is it a date?”  
“I guess so. Dinner and drinks.”  
“Definitely a date.” Peter chips in, food hanging out his mouth. Rem rolls his eyes, going to put his bread back into the freezer.

“Who with?”

Sirius has followed him over to the kitchen area, standing against the counter trying to look nonchalant. Remus glances down at him and pulls a face.  
“Why?”  
“Just… Just wondering.” He grumbles, turning to hide his face a little. It strikes Remus as odd that he seems to care so much, but he brushes it off as being because of the novelty. It’s not like he dates much… Or at all.  
“Gilderoy. The student association guy.”  
“Let’s see?” Remus passes over his phone, hoping if he does this that Sirius will leave it alone. He raises his eyebrows as he scrolls through the messages. “Huh. Cute picture.”  
“He’s alright.” Remus shrugs, glancing over.  
“No, the one you took, I mean.”

Peter is smirking at him from the corner of his periphery. Remus flushes and reaches to take his phone back, tucking it into his pocket.  
“Thanks.” He mumbles, avoiding eye contact. Sirius is still staring at him.  
“You nervous?” Pads asks gently. Remus grumbles a little and ducks his head.  
“Yeah.”  
“Come out with me for a smoke - it’ll help.”

Moony is going to say no - he really is. Afterall, he needs to leave for dinner or he’ll be late. But Sirius’s smile is so warm and he feels so safe, everything about him, even if he makes Rem’s heart stop…   
“Yeah, ok.”

Sirius sees Rem check his watch so many times while they’re standing out by the front door. Blowing a cloud of smoke up into the air between them, he pushes Rem’s arm away resolutely.  
“Quit checking it. If you’re late, you’re late. It’s fashionable to be, anyway.” Remus complains lightly but does as he’s told, stuffing his free hand into his pocket and taking a drag on his cigarette from the other.

“So. How come you’ve decided to start dating?” Sirius asks, tilting his head against the metal beam that runs up to the overhang.  
“You’re asking a lot of questions tonight.”  
“I guess. You just don’t dress up much, is all.” He shrugs and Remus tries to work out what he’s thinking, to no success.  
“I don’t know. Guess I was just feeling… lonely, maybe?”  
“Looking to get fucked?”

It’s so point blank that Rem actually does a double take and chokes on a lungful of smoke. Sirius snorts and pats him on the back firmly until he can take a breath.  
“I-uh. Maybe? I mean, I’m not against it?”  
“Okay. So he’s wining and dining you, then you’re gonna fuck him. Sounds neat.”  
“Doesn’t sound neat when you put it like that.”  
“Probably won’t do much for the loneliness.”  
“D’you say that from experience?”

Sirius looks so good when he laughs. Remus knows he’s staring and quickly turns away.  
“Maybe.” Sirius shrugs, and looks out over the parking lot towards the laundry room thoughtfully.  
“Didn’t take you to be lonely.” Rem hums, glancing down his filter to monitor how much he has left.  
“Not really. Not in the general I want someone, anyone sense.” Sirius grins and Remus catches his eye, confused. Instead of providing anything helpful, Padfoot just turns the attention back to Rem. “What kind of lonely are you?”  
“Not the anyone way.” Rem admits, scratching the back of his neck. This is starting to get close to home and he’s wondering what Sirius’s motive is.  
“Someone in particular?”  
“Yeah.”  
“Is it Gilderoy?”

In that moment, Sirius sounds fragile. Like he cares all too much but doesn’t want to admit it - his voice is soft, feigning nonchalance. But there’s a trembling, quaking effect and Remus picks up on it because he picks up so many things with Sirius - can’t help himself.

“No.”

And his voice comes out equally soft and gentle. It feels like a confession rather than a simple reply. Left vulnerable, he pulls his cardigan tight around him (his nicest and cleanest) and tries to ward off the cold.

“Don’t go then. Just stay in.” Maybe Sirius didn’t sense the revelation between them, didn’t pick up on Remus’s heavy heart. He looks entirely casual, leaning against the beam and speaking between pulls on his cigarette. Whatever it is, Remus feels the tingling anxiety of confession falling to defeat in his chest.

“I’d feel bad to stand him up. Besides, what’ve I got here for me? Another re-watch of Sense8 eating soggy defrosted bread? Pcht.”  
“I resent that.” Sirius is smirking but not meeting Rem’s eyes. There’s weight to his words, surely, past the light teasing. Remus tries furiously to make sense of it.  
“Not to be crude, but I’d quite like to get some action tonight. So I’d probably best be going.”

Remus doesn’t mean it in a harsh way and it doesn’t come out as such - just a joke between friends. Even if Sirius is implying something, it’s not a strong enough message to go on, no sustenance for a grumpy, lonely student. So he moves to set off, grinding his cigarette out underfoot - it has indeed calmed him - and manages one step in the direction of the parking lot.

Sirius catches him by the wrist in a loose hold, enough to grab his attention. Remus turns and looks at him, raising an eyebrow. How can he look so calm, acting as he is?

“I said stay in.” Sirius challenges, tightening his fingers around Rem’s wrist a fraction to convey his intent. Remus falters and tries to decode it.  
“What’re you getting at?” He asks, feeling lame for being so slow. Sirius grins.  
“If you stay, you’ll find out.”

Remus stays.


End file.
